29 December 2007

Somewhere Over The Rainbow ("Over The Rainbow" to some) is the first song I heard Tori Amos Play way back in 1997 when I said to myself, "WOW, that is good." Then I bought my first Tori Amos album and the rest is history. Later in my high school life, my friend Fabian gave me the Tori Amos Unplugged Songbook, and since I barely knew how to play, it was an appreciated challenge. Of course, I had to be able to play my favorite song from it.

I was suppose to mash it into a medley with "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," also played by Tori on earlier concert tours but not available on a songbook. It pretty much sounds like Over The Rainbow (remix), so it would have been a great medley, but I was a little confused so I settled for this. Besides, not everyone celebrates Christmas.

28 December 2007

My DSL exploded (okay, not quite) for a few days so I've been keeping on the DL for a while (oh, that did not fly). But I'm back! Happy Holidays to all!

I do like doing the grocery shopping. Obviously I haven't always; as a kid it pretty much bored me. There are a few instances where it becomes less than enjoyable: one is when I'm asked to buy a twelve-pack of toilet paper, which when I buy with 2 pounds of unsalted butter and a liter of cream makes me look like the world's unhealthiest serial wanker; and the other is when I'm told that, oh yeah, there's a party in two days and someone donated a kilo and a half of meat, could you do something to it? But basically the latter is what happened last Christmas, again with my former culinary Waterloo, the Hunk of Meat That Is Too Big to Taste of Anything in the Middle. Also, my brother was desperate for something to give away to his colleagues as a gift. Thankfully, I'd already experimented with flavoring meat a few weeks earlier.That is a 700-gram Pork Tenderloin, marinated for an hour in Maggi liquid seasoning (hydrolyzed vegetable proteins or liquid aminos) encrusted with cracked black pepper, olive oil, plenty of chopped rosemary leaves, chopped garlic, and salt. I roasted it for 40 minutes in a 205°C (400°F) oven with new potatoes, scrubbed clean and tossed in the coating of the pork. It was lovely and I thought it tasted fine, but my dad and my brother were not fans of subtlety, so they were looking for a sauce, despite the black pepper adding a lot of spice and flavor. Grr. So, I took what I learned when my aunt donated a 1.6kg frenched pork loin roast for Christmas.Red Velvet Cupcakes for my brother's friends, done according to my previously posted recipe, which makes 18 regular-sized cupcakes baked for 25-30 minutes. Fill the cupcake liners to the very top to get a good dome on the cake.

Anyway. The first step is to make sure you have a thoroughly thawed pork loin. You really can't go wrong if you follow the basics of roasting a large cut of meat:

Step 1: Brining. The purpose of brining is not to make the meat salty, which it will barely accomplish (bringing flavor to the middle of the meat), but certain alterations in the osmotic pressure of the muscle cells brought about by the hyperosmotic salt solution makes it moist and tender even after long periods of roasting. I just tossed these together:

half a cup of salt

half a gallon of water

5 garlic cloves, crushed, skins on or off, doesn't matter

ten peppercorns

a medium onion, cut into eight pieces

a splash of white wine

Take note I wasn't following a recipe: I just put together what I thought would be good base flavors. But the salt and water always has to be there. Celery or celery seed would also have been a good addition. Use your imagination. Usually this is boiled and cooled before the meat is soaked in, but I didn't bother. Make sure all the meat is submerged and leave in the fridge for 24 hours.

Step 2: Stuffing. If you really want to make sure that the meat has some interesting flavors in the middle, you should stuff it and remove all doubt. Snip the butcher's twine off and unroll your hopefully spiral-cut pork loin. If it isn't, no matter: just make a spiraling cut from the circumference towards the center. I made mine a reverse-S shape. Score the fat on the outside. Sprinkle some salt and pepper throughout the cut surface and stuff with whatever you fancy. What I picked up from the grocery that day:

two handfuls of dried plums (that's prunes for you uncool kids), chopped

a bunch of arugula, leaves picked and chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

I should probably have squeezed all the water I could out of the arugula, so the stuffing doesn't slip and slide around when I cut the meat. Or I could have cooked and cooled it beforehand. But no matter: It still tasted great (herby and fruity). I just squeezed it into a loose mush in my hands and laid it all around the cut surface. Have fun with the stuffing: I would have used dried cranberries or cherries if they weren't so expensive. You could also use dried apricots. Use raisins if you're feeling loopy. Sage, walnuts, tarragon, spinach, and onions could also be used. You really just can't go wrong if you use your head. Roll up the cut meat back to its original state and use strong white twine to hold it in place.

Step 3: Encrusting. My personal favorite is black pepper. It could be all that's outside for all I care. But since we're going for something different, I just ground up the following in a mortar and pestle:

a handful of black peppercorns

a tablespoon of salt

a tablespoon of cumin

Pat the outside of the loin dry with a paper towel, then smear it all over with a thin layer of Dijon mustard. Press the spice mix all over the surface generously.

Step 4: Roasting. Preheat the oven to 205°C (400°F). Set the meat in a roasting pan with 3/4-inch cubes of potatoes or whatever vegetables you like roasted: here we have carrots and a few garlic cloves as well, tossed in a tiny bit of olive oil and salt (hey, if you want to humor your guests, throw in some more black pepper). Onions, parsnips, and sweet potatoes are also good. Try to get them in a single layer at the bottom of your roasting pan, but it's okay if they overlap a lot, as they'll shrink anyway. Roast the entire monster until the thickest part of the meat registers 66°C (150°F) on an instant-read or meat thermometer (it took me 75 minutes in all). The tip of a metal skewer inserted at this point and taken out will be quite warm on your lip.

I made a gravy from the pan drippings: After taking out the roast and vegetables, set the roasting pan on medium heat and throw in two tablespoons of flour, whisking well to incorporate the fat and the flour, then pour in some stock (I used chicken as that's all we had). Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

The best part is, the meat was bursting with flavor that no one lookd for the sauce. Success!

22 December 2007

This is a simple meme from Dr. Claire I've elected not to pass because... Uh, never mind. If you decide to answer it anyway, tell me about it so I can read it, I'm always interested to learn about other people. My birthday was just last December 10, so I guess it's fitting that I examine this.

Now, I've never really believed in Astrology, but I always thought the coincidences with regards to personality traits were fun. Horoscopes are not, because they are always so broad and generally make you pay attention to a particular aspect of your life, which is not wise. The point of this meme was to go over a list of types related to your birth month and highlight which ones applied to you.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

By the way, I thought "not egotistic" and "take (sic) high pride in oneself" was contradictory. I would have said "sexy" because I often like to joke about it (ditto "fun to be with") but I guess it's all a matter of perspective. There are just some questions you can't answer yourself. Am I, folks?

I don't think I'm impatient. My gentle demeanor in the hospital often has the senior residents asking, "Are you from PGH (Philippine General Hospital)?" And my (JOKING) reply is "Yes, I'm just nice." I think I have a higher threshold for awful people than most. But I do like to move quickly and cover a lot of ground.

One personality trait I've always seen related to December is "wise." I do like to give a lot of unsolicited advice which may probably make me not fun to be with. I'm keeping it under control these days. Also a common trait I see is "wandering." Which I think is apt.The Rest of the Twelve Months:

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

20 December 2007

Here is another recipe that Noah was "challenging" me to make. He wanted a soufflé, but for the heart of it to melt, like a lava cake. Undercooking a soufflé won't work since the lack of heat will cause it to quickly deflate (since the heat hasn't set the egg yet), and the foamy structure of the egg white too quickly absorbs the heat of the oven, so the window between egg white foam and soufflé is too small. There's only one solution: the heart shouldn't be made of egg white foam at all. This is chocolate dessert guru Alice Medrich's recipe, and it fits Noah's description so exactly it still makes me grin till now.The thing is: I think soufflés are overrated. I was served one in renowned restaurant Le Soufflé in Baguio, and I thought it tasted too much like an egg. I thought adding more strawberry coulis would fix it, but it just tasted like a jammed-up omelet. Okay, that's being harsh, but anyway: neither is it difficult to make. The best thing about this recipe is that it does chocolate justice (with both bittersweet chocolate and cocoa in the recipe), doesn't taste eggy, can be prepared in advance (! a definite plus for the annoyingly a la minute dessert), and is completely foolproof: I made it once before (long before I started blogging) and it worked flawlessly the first time. Don't let the pictures fool you: even refrigerated for 2 days, this soufflé has definite rising power; just bake it in a very hot oven and don't pull it out too early. Plus: that warm surprise waiting in the center is a sure crowd-pleaser.

The soufflés will naturally deflate over time, so ask 25 minutes in advance if your guests want one. You could serve them directly from the oven onto a heatproof surface, but warn your guests that it will be searing-hot in the middle.

Put a metal or Pyrex pie plate or cake pan in the freezer. Lightly butter 6 6-oz (180mL) ramekins or custard cups, then coat inside with sugar and tap out the excess.

If baking right away, position a rack on the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 205°C (400°F) In a small bowl, combine the coffee powder with 2 tablespoons warm water and stir to dissolve. In a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter until smooth. Alternatively you can use the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. If only small chunks remain, use the residual heat of the container to melt the remaining chunks to avoid burning the chocolate. Add the salt and stir together well. Take 5 tablespoons (85g) of the chocolate mixture and stir into the espresso well. Pour the espresso mixture into the chilled pie plate and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes (avoid freezing it longer as it will turn too icy). Meanwhile, whisk in 2 egg yolks and the cocoa into the remaining warm chocolate mixture.

Take the pie plate from the freezer and use a teaspoon to scrape it into six rough balls and set each onto the center of each prepared ramekin and refrigerate in the meantime.

In a clean, dry bowl, add the 3 egg whites and sprinkle in the cream of tartar. Beat on medium-high speed until it mounds gently. Gradually beat in the sugar and beat until the whites hold medium-stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted (the tips of the peaks curl but the whites are still glossy, moist, and flexible). Using a rubber spatula, fold a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate to lighten it, then scrape the remaining whites into the bowl and gently fold until well-combined, taking care not to deflate the whites. Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins and level the tops gently with the back of a spoon. (At this point, you can refrigerate the soufflés for up to 2 days. Cover the tops of the ramekins collectively or individually with cling film.)

Remove the cling film from the tops of the ramekins (if prepared in advance) and bake in the preheated oven for 11-14 minutes, adding a minute or two if they were refrigerated (I find they can take 20 minutes with no problem if refrigerated, plus you'll get that rising-over-the-rim action of a classic soufflé). The soufflé cakes should be puffed and possibly a little cracked on top. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

17 December 2007

L'Opera / Gateau ClichyContinuing from my previous post about the first French-style pâtisserie I went to (pardon the misinformation-- the first true pastry shop I went to was Dulcinea, a Spanish pasteleria), let me take you back once again when we (5 or 6 of us, I think) were there, sampling each other's cakes to maximize the experience. Now, I could have sworn one of the cakes was famous, I just didn't know which one it was. Since people still believed I was a better baker than I was and I was very much a cocky bastard, I told my friend Ads that one day I'd replicate whatever classic cake that was. I soon learned I was talking about the Opera cake, which is made of almond joconde (biscuit, not in the English, American, or Filipino sense of the word) layered with coffee buttercream and ganache, then finished off supposedly with ganache. Now, that is probably a bundle of 14 skills I haven't yet performed in the kitchen. When I learned, however, that blanched almonds cost P160 per 100g ($4 or £1.60), I balked, because you're never quite sure if the finished product will ever match what they prepare in the professional pastry shop for much less.But my birthday came up. I'd made cakes for Genie's, Clara's, Faith's, and Graeme's (though he wasn't around to eat it, heh) birthdays, and I needed something grand to culminate the year of growing dessert-skill-wise. Also, it's good for conquering your fears. I was going to make this classic cake for the first time and serve it to my closest friends, gulp! And to add to the number of skills I could try my hand at, I subbed in glacage (mirroire glaze) for the ganache on top, as many pastry shops might do, but the original creators of the Opera might sneer at. Guess what? It's easier, looks smashing, and some even say it's their favorite layer. I adapted this recipe from my unofficial blogging "mentor", Clement at A la Cuisine!, who in turn adapted it from Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets, who in turn adapted it from the Dalloyau, one of the pastry shops credited with its creation way back in 1903. The price of a slice of this cake at the Dalloyau is €5 (P350, $8, or £3.50), and a slice of this at Bizu is P150 ($3.60 or £1.50). Ready to conquer your fears? (Okay, just mine?) Here we go!

I did buy 225g of ground almonds from Tobi's house of nuts, which are guaranteed to be fresh (I knew, because they let me taste the slivers). Don't bother buying them pre-ground from Santi's, which I love, but I doubt the nuts are freshly ground and rotated out of the shelves (I once got ground hazelnuts from their shelves. OLD!). Grinding quickly makes the nut oil rancid. I don't have a food processor so I used a blender (if you're going to do this, make sure the blades are sharp and you're skilled at taking the blender apart and back together in a flash). Making sure the appliance is completely dry, load half the nuts with 25g of the icing sugar you'll use in the recipe. Pulse repeatedly, scraping down the sides of the bowl or pitcher if some nuts stick to the sides. Empty into a coarse sieve over a bowl and lightly tap the sieve to leave only the large unprocessed pieces in. Return this to the appliance and keep repeating until no large pieces are left. Do this with the other half of the nuts and 25g more of the icing sugar (you'll incorporate only 175g later, since the other 50g are in the nuts). Yes, I spent an hour doing this, but it's totally worth it.

OperaJoconde

45g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

6 large egg whites, at room temperature

30g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar

225g (2 cups) almond flour or finely ground almonds

225g (2 cups) icing sugar, sifted

6 large eggs

70g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour, sifted

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Spray two 12-1/2 x 15-1/2-inch sheet pans (jelly roll pans with raised edges) with nonstick spray, then line with parchment paper cut exactly to fit the bottom and sides (fold at the edge to get a neat box-shape). Spray the parchment with more nonstick spray, making sure all corners are coated. I only had 10 x 15-inch sheet pans, so my joconde came out thicker than normal.

Whip the egg whites on low speed in a clean bowl until foamy, then switch to medium-high speed until it holds soft peaks. Switch to high speed while gradually adding the granulated sugar. Continue beating until the eggs whites hold stiff, glossy peaks.

In another bowl, using a mixer with the paddle attachment (I don't have one so I used the regular beaters), beat the almond flour, icing sugar, and eggs on medium speed for 3 minutes or until light and voluminous. Sprinkle the flour on top and beat at low speed until it just disappears. Gently fold the egg-white meringue into the batter using a rubber spatula. Take a cup of the batter and fold it thoroughly into the melted butter in a small bowl. Pour this back into the batter and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Divide batter between the two pans (I used a scale to make sure each got the same weight of batter) and spread evenly with an offset spatula.

Bake cake layers for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly browned. As my layers were slightly thicker, I had to bake them for about 10 minutes. Let them cool for 15 minutes in the sheet pans, then slip them onto a cooling rack and let them cool to room temperature. They may be wrapped airtight and frozen if you have a big enough freezer for a month, but as the wrapping and stuffing into the freezer may deform them, I suggest that you go ahead with assembling the cake.

Coffee Syrup

125g (1/2 cup) water

65g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar

7g (1-1/2 tbsp) instant coffee powder

In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar and coffee powder, and bring to a boil while swirling the pan to dissolve the ingredients. Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool. You may transfer it to a small airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.

In small bowl, combine coffee powder and boiling water and stir until dissolved. Set aside.

In a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg and egg yolk on high speed until pale and foamy.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water, and swirl the pan over high heat to dissolve the sugar until it comes to a boil. At this point, stop stirring and cook over medium heat until it reaches 124°C (255°F or the hard ball stage- a very firm but sticky ball can be formed with your fingers from the cooled syrup). Without delay, dump the sugar syrup into the center of the egg yolks and whisk madly until combined, then turn the mixer on at medium-high speed and beat for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick, satiny, and at room temperature.

Beat the butter with a fork or whisk until it is soft and creamy, but not oily. Start beating the egg yolk mixture again at medium speed and add the vanilla extract, coffee syrup (prepared in the first step above), and butter to the egg yolk mixture in 2 tablespoon chunks. Raise the mixer to high speed and beat the buttercream until it's thickened and satiny. At some point the buttercream might look curdled or separated-- don't worry and just continue beating at high speed; it will come together magically. Transfer the mixture to a container, then cover with cling film and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until it is firm enough to spread. You may freeze this in an airtight container for up to a month or refrigerate for up to a week, but let it come to room temperature before using and beat at high speed until it regains its satiny texture.

Ganache

240g (8oz) bittersweet chocolate (70% or higher), finely chopped

125g (1/2 cup) whole milk

60g (1/4 cup) heavy cream

60g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. In the microwave or a small saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a boil, then pour over the chocolate all at once. Let the chocolate melt for 30 seconds, then gently stir in widening concentric circles with a spatula (being careful not to create bubbles) until smooth. Let the chocolate cool until just barely warm (60°C or 140°F). While the chocolate is cooling, work the butter in a small bowl with a spatula or fork until smooth and creamy. Add the butter to the cooled chocolate in 2 or 3 additions with a spatula. Don't worry if it looks very liquid at this point. Cover and refrigerate until it's firm enough to spread. You may freeze or refrigerate as with the buttercream, but if frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator, then stir until smooth.

AssemblyMeasure out the length of the smaller joconde (if they unfortunately did not come out the same size, but if they did, hurrah) and very cleanly cut a third of it off. You will get a roughly square piece and a rectangular piece. Cut off the same length from the other joconde sheet.

On a 10" square cake board, lay one of the joconde squares on top. Brush evenly with the coffee syrup, using about 3 tablespoons. Spread half the buttercream on top with an offset spatula, making sure it's very even. Carefully place the 2 joconde rectangles side-by-side, cut edges adjacent, on top. It will be roughly the same size as the joconde square below it. Brush evenly with the coffe syrup, using about 3 tablespoons. Using an offset spatula, spread all the ganache very evenly on top. Place the second joconde square on top and moisten again with coffee syrup. Freeze the cake for 20 minutes to allow it to firm. Spread the remaining buttercream on top with an offset spatula, making sure the surface is as even and smooth as you can manage. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 20 minutes.

In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan or in a microwave-proof bowl, combine the cream, 150g water, and granulated sugar very well and bring to a boil over high heat or microwave on HIGH until it boils (I think it took about 3 minutes, watch carefully). Whisk in all the cocoa and return to a boil. Take off the heat. Rap the bottom of the container on the counter to remove large bubbles. Using a small teaspoon, gently plunge it into the center and stir slowly and gently in widening concentric circles while lifting the spoon gradually out into the surface. Once it reaches the surface of the glacage, lift the spoon out and repeat (this isn't an official technique as I just made it up to coax bubbles out of the glacage while stirring any undissolved cocoa into it). Cool the glacage to 43°C (110°F)-- this will take a very long time, be patient. While the chocolate is cooling, sprinkle the gelatin over the 30g of water in a small bowl and leave to absorb all the water. Once the glacage is cool enough, microwave the gel on LOW for a few seconds until it dissolves (or over a pan of hot tap water). Stir the gel into the glacage gently but thoroughly-- it should have no problem as both mixtures are warm. Cool the glacage to 24°C (75°F)-- since I live in the tropics, once it cooled to room temperature, I placed it in the fridge and kept a close eye on it. Once it's sufficiently cool, pour it through a fine-meshed sieve placed close to the surface of the cake until the whole top is covered. Place in the refrigerator to set.

Once set, take a long, clean, sharp knife and cut about half an inch off all the sides to reveal the layers, making sure to wipe the knife very clean in between cuts (eat the sides as your reward). Chill until serving time, then cut into squares and serve. I decorated it with a poorly-made melted chocolate G-clef and Guylian marbled chocolate shells. The traditional decoration is the word "Opera" in script, gold leaf, or other musically-themed stuff.

14 December 2007

Note to all: For those pissed that blogger removed support for website URLs for non-members in comments, you'll be pleased to know they now support OpenID: so that means TypePad, Wordpress, and a lot of other services can be used to log-in. Yay!Sorry there's not a new food post, but I just finished my birthday cake, and I'm on a high as it incorporated a lot of new skills which turned out surprisingly well on my first try. I promise you'll be blown away after I throw my party. If you're not, you must be one of them "haterz." Anyway. This is today's newspaper, which was a few meters thick and had several "Special Project" inserts. Someone had the bright idea of producing a "Christmas Shopping 2007" feature with the subtitle "In the air there's that feeling of buying... and giving." How weird, non-catchy, and awkward. A feeling of buying and giving? I wasn't aware they were feelings.However, the designer, who had an even brighter idea, took it upon himself to resize one of the photos on another page to a very hip overlapping of the top margin. And in the process, gave the feature a new subtitle, revealing an awful Christmas truth.Yikes. I don't want to "feel" that way at all. Right now, Anton, Arunee, and I (that I know of) are thinking up clever ways to give our families gifts on the budget of an unemployed doctor. Who unsurprisingly enough earns about as much as an unemployed rooster (maybe the rooster earns even more, who knows?). I just finished baking 20 boxes of lemon squares for my mom for her to give away to her friends, and I don't even have a food processor/ electric citrus juicer. And I only have 4 8x8 pans. I wonder if that's enough? (Mom: "No.")

11 December 2007

WARNING! Animated depictions of mature themes in the following film. Parental discretion is advised, especially since this is an animated film, children may be attracted to watching it and you will have to explain a whole lot of stuff that you are not yet prepared to explain.

"But much more, we waited for beauty to touch us from somewhere way beyond."This is the animated short Ring of Fire from respected German animator Andreas Hykade. It was released in 1999 and won 11 international animated film awards. It's quite artistic, not in the way that word is thrown around to mean annoying and deliberately confusing, but rather it allows the viewer to discern between true beauty and what may seem attractive but really will tear your soul violently to shreds (dramatic enough for ya?). The story is thankfully straightforward. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.Part 1: (5 minutes)

09 December 2007

Schokolade LinzertorteIt's funny how saying goodbye to someone can give you cycling flashbacks on how your relationship evolved. That's what happened a few days ago when I said goodbye to one of my friends from medical school. I thought I'd be able to see her again, so I made this tart, which reminded me so much of the restaurant adventures we went through during our time as classmates. By now you will have inferred that I was making the tart to impress her (not a good idea then, that I made it for the first time-- but my culinary exploits have made me cocky). The fact that I was enamored with her was probably the one of the worst-kept secrets of my medical school life. You're probably wondering why I tried to keep it a secret at all. Yes, I know it sounds dumb. But at the time, I never actually thought I was good enough. The clincher is, even after years of personal growth and building my confidence, I still don't quite think I am. Certain people can really make you feel that way, as if you've never quite outgrown the first time you met-- when she thought you were incredibly haughty, a little weird, and (mistakenly) intimidatingly smart. The way your jaw dropped when you saw her perform onstage for the first time (and how it kept dropping every single time after that). When she introduced you to your first patisserie, when she gave you part of a cake she baked, and how you were tricked into a belated birthday surprise, which is how she saw you in boxer shorts with ducks all over it.I know all that sounds idealized and misty-water-colored, but if I wanted to, I could remember everything bad that happened between us. But for now, it's time to say goodbye: the ship has sailed. It's a new life ahead of me, and a new year. Maybe I learned a lesson and from now on will say exactly what I mean without fear of ridicule (probably won't, for fear of getting a massive heart attack). The silly thing is, she might be reading this (if she doesn't know any of it already, that's pretty strong denial for you). Anyway, the people you meet in your life are worth more than the lessons you've learned from them. After all, having friends who care about you is not a very bad thing indeed.

2 hard-boiled large egg yolks at room temperature, pressed through a fine strainer

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons dark rum

1/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder

1-1/2 cup (210g) all-purpose flour

In a food processor or mixer, process the butter until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the confectioner's sugar, cocoa, egg yolk, cinnamon, salt, and rum and process until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed. In a sifter, combine the flour and baking powder and sift it into the mixture. Pulse (or continue mixing) until thoroughly blended. The dough will be very soft. Scrape onto a piece of cling film and gather it into a ball and press into a disk. Let it chill for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days (alternatively you can freeze it for a month).

Grease a 8-3/4 inch (22cm) tart pan with a removable bottom (the sides are ideally 3/4 inch high). Roll out the dough to a thickness of a scant 1/4 inch (7mm). Since the dough becomes very soft quickly as it warms to room temperature (and quicker still once you've started rolling it), I recommend rolling in between two sheets of parchment paper/ cling film, cutting the giant disk into quarters, laying the quarters out on the tart pan, and pressing the cut edges together. The dough is very forgiving. You can also pat the dough into the tart pan without rolling, but keep in mind the thickness should be even throughout. Roll over the top of the tart pan with a rolling pin to make the edges neat. The excess dough can be shaped into a log, cut into circles, and baked as cookies.

Cover the prepared crust with aluminum foil and fill the foil with dried beans or rice. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake the pastry for 18-20 minutes, then remove the foil and beans and bake for 3-5 minutes more, until firm. Cool to room temperature.

about 3/4 cup (240g) raspberry jam (I used store-bought; see below for making your own)

Make sure the jam is not too runny. If it is, microwave or boil in a saucepan for a few minutes until it thickens sufficiently. Take note that it will thicken further as it cools. Sprinkle the gelatin over the jam and stir it in. Microwave on HIGH for 15 seconds or set over very low heat, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Let the jam cool for a minute and spread it in an even layer over the bottom of the crust. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Chop the chocolate finely and place in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in the microwave or in a heavy-bottomed small saucepan, then pour over the chocolate quickly, but trying not to create bubbles as you dump it in. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in a widening concentric circle from the center, being careful not to produce any bubbles as you stir; be patient as eventually the heat of the cream will melt all the chocolate. Let the ganache sit for a minute and cool while you work the butter in a separate bowl until very creamy. Add the butter in two additions, stirring gently as before. Let the ganache cool until it is just slightly warm to the touch but still pourable. Pour it over the jam just until it reaches the top of the crust. Refrigerate until set. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Homemade Raspberry Jam

1 pound (450g) red raspberries

1-1/3 cups (270g) sugar

about 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Put the berries in the workbowl of a food processor and process, turning off the machine for a while if it gets too hot, processing it for a total of 5 minutes. Transfer to a heavy-bottomed casserole and stir in the sugar. Bring to a rollicking boil, stirring occasionally, and boil for 10-15 minutes until the jam thickens slightly and the bubbles look clear. Stir in a teaspoon of the lemon juice and scrape the jam into a heatproof jar. The jam can be kept in the refrigerator for about 1 month.

05 December 2007

I realize I've been taunting my friends overseas like an ass with the availability of some summer fruit here. You will take comfort in the fact that they usually don't taste as great as they do when they're in season. However, I've wanted to make a peach salad for the longest time, but they don't seem to appear these days in the special fruit stand. At the risk of being beaten with sticks by my peers, I opted to use Dole sliced peaches in light syrup. It's the closest, I guess, to fresh fruit, which is firm and not overly sweetened like the Del Monte ones in heavy syrup (mushy and sugary). I highly recommend it. And this was the perfect opportunity to use up my leftover cheese.

The thing is, it's so easy to forget this holiday season that just because it's cold out, it doesn't mean we need all that extra insulation. I can't count how many times I took advantage of a feast and ended up feeling shitty the next day. So in between those feasts, be good to yourself and eat healthily-- but well. (Recipe follows)You could use a yogurt-based dressing here: honey dijon is just my preference (as you may have read before).

Honey Mustard Dressing

1 tablespoon dijon-style mustard

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup safflower oil

Thoroughly combine all the ingredients except the oil in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking madly until well-emulsified. I suppose you could use a food processor to do everything, but I don't have one.

If using peaches in syrup, drain them very well and pat slightly dry between paper towels. On a very hot grill, lay down all the peach slices for 2-3 minutes, or until they get dark grill marks, then set aside. Arrange the mixed greens in a bowl and wave the ham decoratively among them. Top with the peach slices, cheeses, and walnuts, then drizzle the dressing over.

04 December 2007

Coincidentally enough, Marvin of Burnt Lumpia tagged me for another meme. I thought instead of putting this off, I should just answer it now to make this "meme day." :) I'll make this short so my precious recipes won't be too invisible :pWhat were you cooking/baking 10 years ago? I was just 15-16 years old then, and not at all very interested in food. I would be graduating from high school and content to eat cafeteria pasta day after day.What were you cooking/baking one year ago? This would be about the time I'm making chocolate chip cookies. That's it. Oh, and maybe fusilli.

Five culinary luxuries you would indulge in if you were a millionaire:1. Eat my way through Italy.2. Eat my way through France.3. Renovate my kitchen (preferably taking up the living room, haha)4. Set up a vast garden.5. Own a deli.

Five foods you love to cook/bake:1. Cake. Nothing like it. (Plus all the decorations that go with it)2. Pies.3. Making fresh pasta.4. Spicy Chinese food.5. Roasts and grilled meats.

Five foods you cannot/will not eat:1. I can eat raw fish (and it's okay), but I am sensitive to it and the reaction is very unpleasant. I'd rather not.2. Feet of any animal. Those toes and tendons often ick me out.3. Fresh coconut. Hate it.4. Insects5. Can't think of much more. Probably some organ meat.

Five happy food memories:1. Making the silk handkerchief pasta for the first time2. Making classic fondant for the first time3. Eating the Nanking Beef (Crispy Beef strips in Spicy Sauce) for the first time4. Throwing an all-dessert party for my friends5. Cooking a birthday feast for my mom.

I'm tagging the people I've tagged below, but as always, of course there's no obligation nor hard feelings if you don't. :)

03 December 2007

Dr. Em of Pulse tagged me as a blogger to answer five questions. (Sorry, it's so late-- wait for rare moment of me writing in Filipino-- nagkalito-lito kasi yung DSL). So... Here I go!How long have you been blogging?Believe it or not, I set up a personal website for my various sketches and essays waaay back in (wait for it) 1997. I recall there was also space for me to write about restaurants, food, music, and TV shows. Its original name was Flights to Fantasy, as I was a huge Final Fantasy fan then. I learned HTML for that! The design I felt was quite impressive for someone in 3rd year high school-- back then. It underwent several redesigns after long periods of me not writing (coding in HTML was long, thankless work) before I renamed it and settled on A Simple Life (coding in Dreamweaver), then I took a long hiatus for med school and killed it. This current blog you're reading started this year, after I'd imported my also-killed Friendster blog (as Friendster blogs blew chunks) in May 2007 (not April, but I did date my sketches with false dates to put them in front).

What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?Up until after I graduated, the only things I've ever baked were cookies, brownies, and cake out of a box. Somehow it led people to believe that I was a better baker than I actually was, but somehow I got cocky due to the sheer volume of cooking shows I've watched in my life and would think to myself when we ate in a pâtisserie, "I can do that." I joined the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts and Letters in 2006. They are WILD in there. The photography of Patrick and Joe (Graeme was not yet posting pictures at the time) blew me away and I wanted to replicate how they communicated deliciousness through the photos. But my inspiration for actual blogging is Clement of A la Cuisine. Anyway, I decided to put my money where my mouth is and start a blog to push my limits on how many different cooking skills I can learn, and as a bonus, to be able to make every single dish I love. Which is a lot. So, I really only started to learn to cook when I graduated med school.

Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?No way. It's all fun and games here. I think my main reason for losing steam in my old websites was the lack of feedback.

Tell me 3 things you LOVE about being online.1. I love learning. I get bored disturbingly easily. To see what other people are up to around the world excites me. It helps in being fearless with the world and yourself. It helps in opening your mind to new people and new experiences. It helps to cope with failure and gives you the courage to try again.2. Friendship. It's been said about friends at work:

The people you work with, are people you were just thrown together with. You don’t know them, it wasn’t your choice. And yet you spend more time with them than you do your friends or your family, but probably all you’ve got in common, is the fact that you walk around on the same bit of carpet for eight hours a day.

It's not true for everyone but it's a little true for me. Now we're not together anymore, I have to content myself with seeing them once every two weeks for the usual dinner and drinks. And I rarely want to talk medicine. However, I've made great friends online and I pretty much have something to look forward to everyday.3. Well, it's great to be appreciated. If the people around you don't eat dessert or only want to eat the same thing all the time, it can be very lonely indeed!

Tell me 3 things you STRUGGLE within the online world.1. Your efforts falling flat on their faces. I remember one of the first things I made I was proud of-- Terrine of Almond Panna Cotta and Pineapple Gelée. I thought, since the folks at the eGullet forums are so tough, maybe it's my "in." Nobody said anything for a long while, and I felt like shit. Graeme was first and the only one who liked it, and it was great to have finally made a good friend. But if he hadn't, I might have punched a hole through my monitor.2. Cliques. For some reason, the same way that friendship translates over the internet, so do cliques. Some people will just never give you the time of day because they don't want to know who you are.3. Since I can't think of much else, I'd say self-censorship. But this is pretty much an issue in real life, isn't it? Being nastily fun is okay in my book (even if I dial it down a lot so as not to freak out gentler readers), but I try to stay away from hostility and revert it back to a pleasant atmosphere, because the flipside is, if you tell people that they are rude and just generally awful, they will rip your ass to shreds and you will flame each other forever. I'd rather slip away and not give them the traffic. (Right, G? :) He has read how deep my distaste can go.)

Raspberry Religieuse(Disclaimer! That subtitle is not meant to imply that desserts are beneficial to your health! Do exercise and eat vegetables.)It's been a while since I've made a true pâtisserie-style dessert. I've wanted to make these relgieuses for a long time since I saw them on Cake Chef and pictures of the Ladurée. They are cream puffs with delicate fillings, stacked with eclairs and other pâté a choux shapes that somewhat resemble a nun's habit (gotta love the abstract). Mini-religieuses are composed of just two stacked cream puffs. The thing is, religieuses are topped with classic (poured) fondant (different from rolled fondant, or "sugarpaste").

Did you ever think to yourself, "There's no way this is going to work. This'll fail for sure. I don't know why I'm doing this. What am I--- OMFG IT TOTALLY WORKED HAHAHA WTF?" And you end up grinning the whole day because it totally worked and it was a lot of fun in the process. That's what making classic fondant for the first time is like. If you're wondering what the advantages to making true fondant is compared to a glaze of confectioner's sugar and water, here they are:

It only requires plain sugar, if you don't have icing sugar on hand.

It's smoother and is never grainy if made correctly

The gloss is unbeatable for professional-looking desserts.

The drawback to making religieuses is it's a little painstaking-- four components (buttercream, choux pastry, filling, and fondant), but thankfully I had spare buttercream on hand. However, I'll definitely want to make fondant again. Ready? Let's make religieuses! (Recipe follows)Classic Fondant (from The Simple Art of Perfect Baking by Flo Braker)

2-1/4 cups (1 lb or 450g) granulated sugar

1 cup (1/2 lb or 240g) water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Sprinkle a brushed aluminum (to prevent coloring the fondant gray) large sheet pan or smooth (marble) working surface with water.

Pour the water, corn syrup, and sugar in that order into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Swirl the pan to moisten the sugar. Place over low heat and stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved (5-7 minutes). When no grains are visible, stor stirring and increase the heat to medium-high. Boil until it registers 235-240°F on a candy thermometer (113-115.5°C, about 5-7 minutes-- reaches the soft ball stage: sticky and viscous like a thick pancake syrup, loses its shape when pressed). Wash down any crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.

When the correct temperature is reached, dip the bottom of the pan immediately into cold water and pour the syrup into the marble surface or sheet pan. Wait a few minutes until it reaches 110°F (43°C) or warm to the touch.

Using a bench scraper or spatula, manipulate the outside portion of the syrup toward the center. You'll see air bubbles start to get trapped in the syrup. As it thickens and lightens, massage it back and forth, kneading with the scraper. Stop when it's smooth, creamy, and opaque. Scrape into a container, place a damp towel over the surface, and put a lid on it. Allow to ripen for 12 hours or refrigerate for up to a year.

To thin the fondant for pouring and glazing, use stock syrup:

5 parts water by weight to

8 parts sugar by weight (I used 15g water and 24g sugar, or 3-1/2 teaspoons and 5-1/2 teaspoons respectively)

Place the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until it boils: by this time all the sugar crystals have dissolved.

Place a bowl over a larger bowl filled with hot tap water (140°F or 60°C). Place your fondant in the smaller bowl and work with a rubber spatula constantly but gently until melted. Add your desired coloring and flavoring-- here I used 3 drops red food color. Take as much stock syrup and mix it into the fondant gradually to produce a thin glaze. All in all I used about 2 tablespoons stock syrup.

Pâté a ChouxUse Pichet Ong's recipe as I posted here. The difference is, you should pipe out 1-inch (top) and 2-inch (bottom) spheres. Use a wet finger to smooth out any tips sticking out the top before baking. You should be able to make at least 16 tops and 16 bottoms.

Raspberry Diplomat Cream (adapted from Pierre Hermé)There are several ways you can approach this ingredient. If you have raspberry syrup for use in iced tea and milkshakes, I suggest that you use it in the milk and continue with the recipe as directed. If you have fresh raspberries, blitz them a bit and fold into the finished product. Use your imagination!

2 cups (500g) whole milk

1/2 cup (140g) frozen raspberries, at room temperature

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup (100g) sugar

1/3 cup (45g) cornstarch

3-1/2 tablespoons (50g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups (500g) heavy cream, chilled

Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and water, and set a smaller bowl on top and place a fine-meshed strainer on it.

Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat or in a microwave oven. Pour in the raspberries. In another medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Slowly drizzle in a quarter of the hot raspberry milk, whisking all the while, and pour the rest of the milk in a steady stream while still whisking. Place than pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously and without stop. Bring it to a boil and keep at a boil while still whisking for 1-2 minutes. Scrape the pastry cream through the strainer into the small bowl. You can push the raspberry bits through the seive if desired. Cool the pastry cream to 140°F (60°C), and stir in the butter. Set aside until completely cool.

In another bowl, whip the cream until firm peaks form. Take a third of the cream and mix it into the raspberry pastry cream, then fold the lightened pastry cream into the whipped cream until well-combined.

Milk Buttercream (from Flo Braker)Follow the recipe as I posted before here. You'll have a lot of leftovers. Actually, I used leftover frozen buttercream to make the religieuses. I just whipped it really well once thawed.

AssemblyLoad the diplomat cream into a large pastry bag fitted with a quarter-inch plain tip or slightly bigger. Poke a hole through the bottoms of the choux pastry (if you haven't already through the drying process) and fill all of them with the diplomat cream. Dip the top halves of all the choux pastry into the fondant and set aside. Load the milk buttercream into a small pastry bag fitted with a 1/8" plain tip or slightly bigger. On the 2-inch choux pastry spheres, pipe a circle about 3/4" in diameter of buttercream pearls. Set the 1-inch choux pastry spheres on top (using buttercream if the fondant has set too much to allow them to stick). Pipe pearls of buttercream on top of the 1-inch choux pastry spheres and set a nontoxic silver dragée on top of each.

01 December 2007

I was kidding again with Graeme that people who don't like spicy food are no good in bed. I suppose that's just one of those things chili fiends say to taunt those with sensitive tongues. I really have no way of telling. Maybe someone can take a poll. In any case, you can hypothesize all you want on my "abilities" (or not), but I am madly in love with spicy food. I don't, however, have a chili fetish. I acknowledge that sometimes food can have so much spice that you can no longer pay attention to any flavor (often, it will taste metallic). This is not one of those dishes, though you may be fooled by the amount of spicy things that go into it. My spice rack is now full off all sorts of heat enhancers: cayenne, Tabasco, pepper flakes, paprika, Sichuan peppers, dried peppers, and Shichimi Togarashi, so I'm always looking for new ways to use them.This is a pretty straightforward recipe, and I was pleasantly surprised on how tender the ribs came out. I was never in doubt on how flavorful it was going to be, however. I daresay it's a perfect way to warm up your insides when it's raining out, if you're not a soup person. It's patterned after the "Top Secret" recipes for Tony Roma's ribs, so if you're one of those people who think good old-fashioned ribs are crass, oh my God, you're on the wrong website.These baby back pork ribs cost P175 per kilo ($4 or £1.80). For some reason they still all have the vertebral bodies, which is weird because I've never seen them still intact in restaurants, and they interfere with lying the ribs flat on one of the sides. So I have triangular ribs.

Combine all of the ingredients very well in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature before using as marinade.

Red Hot Ribs

1.6-1.8kg (4 lbs) baby back pork ribs (probably 2 full racks)

Have the butcher cut each full rack into 2 half-racks of about 4-6 ribs per piece to make them more manageable. You'll get 4 half-racks in all. Cut out a piece of foil for each half-rack about 6 inches longer than the meat. Coat each rack completely with barbecue sauce ideally 24 hours before cooking and wrap each piece in foil completely. Leave in the refrigerator until cooking time.

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Lay each of the wrapped ribs on one of the oven racks, and place a sheet pan on the oven rack underneath to catch any drippings (just to save you time cleaning the oven). Bake the ribs for 2-2.5 hours, or until you see the meat shrink back from the cut end of the rib by about 1/2 inch, as seen in the picture above.

Preheat the grill to high (you shouldn't be able to stand hovering your hand over it for 10 seconds). Unwrap the ribs and coat each with more barbecue sauce liberally (you needn't worry about cross-contamination at this point as the ribs are already cooked through). Grill each rack for 2-4 minutes per side, or until you see spots of charred sauce.

Heat the remaining barbecue sauce through and serve with the ribs. Excellent.